


A to Z Drabbles: Gen/Het Edition

by AuroraNova



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Ensemble Cast, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 21:36:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13912677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraNova/pseuds/AuroraNova
Summary: One drabble for every letter of the alphabet.





	1. A to M

**Author's Note:**

> Some time back I dove into G/B with a self-challenge: open the dictionary to a random page for each letter, choose one word from that page, and write a drabble based on the word. Here I present the ensemble, gen/het version of this challenge.

**Asphyxiate**

Nobody was more surprised than Leeta herself when she took up gardening. Yes, the air on Ferenginar was humid enough that she first thought she might drown, but it turned out to be a welcome escape from greed so suffocating she might asphyxiate. She imported Bajoran rainforest plants, learning as she went what species thrived in their new home, and hired two orphan girls to help her maintain the garden. Nothing she did surprised the Ferengi anyway; she was always going to be the Nagus’s strange, somewhat scandalous alien wife.

Rom loved her garden and it became their private escape.

 

**Bevy**

Everyone has a weakness. Quark learned this from his grandfather at a young age and he’s never met an exception to the rule. Even Odo must have a weakness, he’s certain; the trick is finding it. The Changeling doesn’t eat or drink, doesn’t care about wealth and doesn’t pay any mind when he’s surrounded by a bevy of lovely dabo girls. So none of the obvious weaknesses apply. All the better, really: a less obvious weakness will mean less competition and more profit for Quark. Just as soon as he figures out what it is that Odo can’t manage without…

 

**Chop**

Kasidy likes it when Jake comes to cook dinner for her, not least because she isn’t a gifted cook. Plus she gets to tell him more stories about the adorable things Amanda has done, and Jake is very fond of his infant sister.

He’s chopping vegetables at a speed she could never manage without slicing a finger. She’s taking the opportunity to send more pictures to Ben’s family until suddenly her husband is standing in front of her.

“Ben!”

Jake spins around. “Dad?”

When the three of them are hugging Kasidy thinks, _Of course Ben came back in the kitchen._

 

**Department**

With everything that’s happened recently, data from the wormhole must be fascinating. Dax gets up early and goes right to the heart of her department, the lab. After half an hour alone she’s joined by David Whitehawk.

“Good morning David.”

“I’m sorry. Who are you and why are you in the lab?”

“I’m…” and then she remembers that she’s Ezri, not Jadzia. She needs to leave before she starts tearing up (again) but somehow has the presence of mind to call out the door as she goes, “It’s alright, I’m Dax.”

That’s a lie. Nothing about the situation is alright.

 

**Endure**

The three days until General Martok departed might as well have been three years. Jake tried to have sympathy for a man who’d spent so long in an internment camp, but he could endure no longer. He ended up at his dad’s door, duffle bag over one shoulder.

“Hey Dad, it is alright if I use my old room for a few days?”

“Of course. May I ask why?”

Jake sat on the couch and enjoyed the blessed quiet. “Martok is next door to me singing constantly. If I hear another Klingon battle song I’m going to lose my mind.”

 

**Facetious**

Nobody did facetious like Garak. This was a man who narrowly avoided assassination by Bajoran extremists, required emergency surgery, and when making his report to Odo from the infirmary quipped, “You really should add crimes against fashion to the complaint, Constable.”

Therefore Sisko wasn’t entirely surprised when Dax overheard Garak telling Bashir that the tailor hid ‘surprises’ in Sisko’s quarters in preparation for Dukat’s takeover. “Garak said Dukat will know it was him,” she added. “Something about itching powder and vole tails.”

He probably should’ve been angry, but in dark days Sisko took his amusement where he could find it.

 

**Gecko**

DS9 lacked a veterinarian. Therefore, protests that he wasn’t qualified notwithstanding, the station’s pet owners brought their ill and injured animals to Julian. It was one thing to use a dermal regenerator on the Petersons’ cat after the creature decided to fight a vole and got a torn ear to show for it, or to remove a splinter from the paw of Crewman Sotheby’s remarkably cooperative ferret. However, why Siv Kelys thought he would be of any help when her Bajoran dancing gecko was depressed Julian couldn’t imagine.

He submitted a proposal for a veterinarian from Bajor to visit weekly.

 

**Hobble**

“It’ll be at least a week before she’s spaceworthy,” Miles informed the Ferengi after examining his ship. “It’s a minor miracle you were able to hobble to the station at all.”

“My cargo of rare Livthanian orchids needs to be on Rianago VI in four days, or they’ll be useless for breeding.”

“You’d better make other arrangements for transport, then.”

“Do you have any idea how much those orchids are worth?”

Miles neither knew nor cared, but when he mentioned it to Keiko later she cried, and he realized that pregnancy hormones weren’t going to be easier the second time.

 

**Inaction**

Garak cannot abide inaction. In his more melancholy moments, he will admit this is perhaps fighting against a feeling of futility in the face of a universe where he no longer has a place of any significance.

After they unravel Dukat’s scheme to discredit Pa’Dar, Bashir asks, “Why can’t you ever come out and say something plainly, Garak?”

“I am perfectly plain,” he replies. “For a Cardassian.”

The answer is truth and falsehood intertwined, as is his habit. He is not about to admit that he wishes to give himself purpose for as long a time as can be managed.

 

**Jab**

Untraditional though she was, Jadzia had a Klingon heart in many ways. Nevertheless, she was Trill, and made it clear she expected some interest in her customs from Worf.

This led to him joining her in the holosuite wielding a hooked stick, his introduction to the ancient Trill martial art of kajhoru.

“It’s not a spear, Worf. Jabbing it won’t get you anywhere.”

“This is an inefficient weapon.”

“It’s not about efficiency, it’s about artistry.”

Worf found great beauty in an efficient weapon, hence his preference for the mek’leth, but decided this was not a quarrel he cared to pursue.

 

**King**

Molly was young enough to believe grownups got to do whatever they wanted. Miles couldn’t say he was having much success in his attempt to explain why this wasn’t the case.

“Commander Sisko is in charge of the whole station,” he said. “That means everyone in Starfleet and the Bajoran Militia has to do what he says.” He left out the parts where Sisko was answerable to the Admiralty and the Provisional Government, for simplicity’s sake.

“He’s the boss of the whole station?”

“That’s right.”

“Like a king?”

Miles began to suspect she was listening to too many fairy tales.

 

**Lockbox**

After Rom secured his winnings in his lockbox he was gleeful. He served Dr. Bashir’s drink with such happiness that the doctor observed, “You’re in a good mood today.”

“I finally beat Quark at tongo,” explained Rom. “I figured out a way to cheat, fair and square!”

Bashir gave him a confused look. “Isn’t cheating the opposite of fair and square?”

“If the rules don’t say you can’t, that’s fair cheating,” explained Rom. “For example, the rules don’t forbid distracting your opponents by making them think a pipe in the ceiling is about to burst.”

Quark had been very proud.

 

**Malleable**

Six months after the Occupation ended the provisional government issued commerce regulations. Odo found them imperfect but an improvement over the existing chaos, and he forwarded them to all businesses on the station.

Naturally, Quark was the first to run afoul of the new rules. He was known to offer excessively strong drinks in order to make potential customers more malleable, now grounds for the reversal of any deals under Bajoran jurisdiction. One very hungover Saurian therefore returned an “antique” and received his latinum back just two days after the new regulations arrived.

Odo did so appreciate good, clear rules.


	2. N to Z

**Nucleonics**

“Jadzia.” Worf eyed the padd she was holding. “I can return later if you are occupied.”

“No, it’s not that important.” _The Journal of Nucleonics_ could wait.

“Are you available tomorrow at 1900 hours? I have reserved a holosuite.”

“I’m free. What are we doing?”

“I have located a program so that we may replicate climbing the Mok’no’Twh Cliffs as you wished.”

Jadzia grinned. She’d only mentioned that in passing and Worf had gone out of his way to make it possible. He was really a very sweet boyfriend.

Not that she’d call him that to his face, of course.

 

**Own**

Whenever Kira thinks she understands the basics of this joined Trill business something happens to prove her wrong. She’s discussing visiting linguists and remarks, “That Emd is a good-looking man.”

Jadzia almost chokes on her raktajino. When she can speak again she says, “Emd is Dax’s child.”

“Which host?”

“None. The symbiont.”

Somehow it’s never occurred to Kira that the symbionts procreate, although of course they must.

“Symbionts aren’t joined until their offspring are grown with children of their own,” explains Jadzia. “Emd is Dax’s youngest.”

How the Trill manage to keep straight their familial ties, Kira will never know.

 

**Palm**

Miles materialized in the infirmary cursing in four languages. Julian didn’t have to ask what the problem was; the nasty plasma burn on his palm spoke for itself. Prior accidents had taught Julian that Miles required larger doses of painkiller than average, so he wasn’t stingy with the hypospray.

“Thank God,” said Miles.

“Just me,” replied Julian. “Let me see your hand.”

This injury was going to require nerve regeneration, so Miles was in for several days of treatment.

Suddenly Julian realized he was thinking of the engineer on a first name basis. Maybe they were becoming friends, after all.

**Quince**

There’s never a truly good time for a runabout’s artificial gravity to fail. That said, there are decidedly worse times, and as far as messes are concerned, meals are very much a worse time. So what had been a very smooth mission to help a disabled cargo ship got a lot stickier when the artificial gravity gave out during breakfast.

Literally stickier, unfortunately, because Julian had been in the middle of spreading jam on his toast when breakfast started to float. Once Miles restored gravity he could only be thankful that nothing truly delicate had been coated in quince jam.

**Redress**

Garak was predictably appalled when he learned of the right to petition government for redress of grievances, a major theme in their latest reading. “Do you mean to tell me, Doctor, that at every turn your government must fear reprisal from its subjects?”

“Citizens, not subjects, and I’m not sure reprisal is the best word, but accountability keeps government in check.”

Garak’s eyeridges reached new heights.  

“At least in theory.” Julian would concede that much.

“I once again marvel that your society has managed to accomplish anything.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It wasn’t intended as one.”

“I know.”

**Scree**

Kira preferred to deal with reality, however harsh it may be, than escape in fantasy. She was therefore highly skeptical of the holosuites, but agreed to give them a try nevertheless because Dax promised an invigorating workout. She may have an administrative job now, but Kira Nerys was not going to let it turn her lazy.

The program, a mountain trail on Herschel V, was more pleasant than the gym and impressively realistic, even including details as such as the scree that rolled down behind her after every step.

Maybe, Kira admitted to herself, holosuites weren’t entirely useless after all.

**Toast**

Now that gagh was profitable, Quark had grown familiar with the most common methods of preparation. It was all disgusting, of course. He liked his worms chewed and pleasant-tasting, though he supposed that gagh tasted so bad nobody would want it near their taste buds for longer than absolutely necessary.

Still, profits were profits and Klingons paid well for gagh. He’d even invested in a series of holocourses to learn proper gagh-serving techniques. This gagh dish was new to him, though: a wriggling pile of fresh torgud gagh on toast. Hew-mon toast, buttered.

Commander Worf was a very peculiar individual.

 

**Unmentionable**

He was not going to enjoy what Jadzia said next. This was clear from the mischievous expression on her face, and Worf braced himself accordingly.

“I’m a member of the House of Martok.”

“Yes,” he agreed.

“Not an outsider.”

“No.” At least, no more of an outsider than he was, biology aside.

“So there’s no reason you can’t tell me why Klingons used to have smooth foreheads.”

She was right. It was a distasteful subject, and downright unmentionable in some social groups on Qo’noS. He frowned.

“I promise not to tell anyone.”

Unable to deny his wife anything, Worf acquiesced.

 

**Vicarious**

Having completed its mission, it relinquished control of the body. The takeover was necessary, but it had spent enough time among humans to know that in the service of a greater good, it had been required to do Sarah a great disservice.

The others would not understand. They lived apart from corporeal life, lacking even vicarious memory of what it meant to be restricted, linear beings. It did not truly understand either. And yet it knew enough to realize what it did not.

The Pah-wraith were defeated. Sarah Sisko would never understand the role she had played in this triumph.

 

**Wallow**

Garak loathes self-pity. His life has afforded him ample opportunities to wallow in it, but he’s always been strong enough to resist. Until now.

He’s allowed four visitors per week, but of course there aren’t four people on the station interested in whiling away an hour conversing with a man who attempted genocide. Even Doctor Bashir manages only one weekly visit. No doubt he took it personally that he was on the planet Garak had hoped to destroy. Humans are sentimental creatures.

He begins to understand why Klingons would rather die in battle than live to suffer defeat.

 

**Xeric**

“Water,” said Miles in disbelief. “We got seven flawless dilithium crystals in exchange for a few liters of water.”

Julian mopped sweat off his forehead from underneath the robe he put on to blend in with the locals. “Every society places value on what is scarce, and in a xeric environment like this, it’s water.”

“Besides, these people aren’t technologically advanced enough for dilithium to be useful,” added Dax.

“Lucky enough for us.” Miles couldn’t wait to repair the runabout and get back to DS9. He had sand in very uncomfortable places.

He might even splurge and shower with water.

 

**Yellow**

Keiko set Molly’s favorite yellow dress in one of the very last suitcases.

Seven years. Her dislike of the station was well-known when they arrived, and for years she couldn’t think of it as home. She’d preferred Bajor, where at least she could work with plants. And yet somehow, now that the war was over and Miles was finally reassigned the way she’d wanted for so long, she was going to miss Deep Space Nine.

They say home is where your heart is. Oddly enough, somewhere along the line, Keiko’s heart had gotten comfortable on an old Cardassian refining station.

 

**Zeal**

Before his joining Salno had never even heard of tongo. Now he has taken to the game with a zeal that few people understand. “Ten lifetimes and you go with Ferengi gambling?” his sister asks.

Tongo isn’t just gambling because there is a great deal of strategy involved. Moreover, Salno has embraced the game to live joyfully and confidently in a way that includes, in his-not-his memories, tongo. It’s difficult to explain to his sister, who’s more than a little resentful that Salno was chosen for joining and she was not, so he simply says, “It’s the Jadzia in me.”


End file.
